While the Playstation 4 Exclusive Nioh didn’t appear during Sony’s E3 conference, those of us hungry for more news on the upcoming action RPG haven’t been left in the dark. Koei Tecmo recently uploaded a new trailer to their official Youtube channel, highlighting even more of the game’s intense combat, and shedding some new light on Nioh’s shadowy setting.
The new trailer showcases several new enemies, including an almost Lovecraftian sea-creature, and a nightmarish winged demon. Both monsters are shown savagely tearing into William, the game’s protagonist. We’re seeing several of William’s apparent allies for the first time as well. Characters such as an aging Samurai, a mysterious masked man, and a fierce looking warrior woman all appear to have their own parts to play in Nioh. Finally, we’re given some interesting flavor text throughout the trailer. If you had trouble recognizing the language it’s being narrated in, it’s actually Irish Gaelic, a possible hint at William’s mixed ancestry. In any case, it’s certainly haunting to listen to.
Even more exciting, perhaps, is the announcement made at the end of the trailer: Nioh will be available to play in beta this August. This is actually the second chance players will have to get an early look at the game. Last month, Team Ninja made the game available in alpha for just ten short days, collecting player feedback in an online survey. The results of the survey, published on Team Ninja’s website, reveal mostly positive player reviews. While the alpha was praised for its combat and graphics, notable complaints included somewhat clumsy UI as well as unforgiving difficulty. It should be interesting to see how the developers have responded to this feedback in the updated beta.
The brutally difficult gameplay and stamina focused combat mechanics have lead many to draw comparisons between Nioh and FromSoftware’s Dark Souls series. The juxtaposition has helped the upcoming title garner some attention from the Souls community, but Team Ninja stands to face criticism is their game is unable to stand out as its own unique experience. Nioh is scheduled to release for the Playstation 4 sometime in 2016.
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